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Develop your Copernicus-based business with the Copernicus Incubation Programme

Copernicus Observer

08/02/2018

European Commission, 2018

Building an idea into a product or service is a daunting journey – “how do I start?”, “how do I find customers?”, “when should I pivot?”, and another myriad of questions come up in the process. There is no single recipe that works for all start-ups, and many do not dare to embark on this journey or stop on the way.

However, there are tools that can assist you in steering your business in the right direction. And if you’re building a product or service that uses Copernicus data or information - look no further than the Copernicus Incubation Programme.

With six Copernicus Sentinel satellites in orbit, the Contributing missions and in situ sensors, we’re producing over 12 TB of Earth Observation (EO) data per day. What can you do with this data? Well, almost anything – from farming (see satellites + Augmented Reality application farmAR) and monitoring bee activity, to forest fire alerts and Earth Observation social networks – the applications we’ve seen so far are numerous and very different. With more Sentinels (e.g. Sentinel-3B to be launched in the Spring of this year) and the upcoming DIAS platforms that will allow an easier access to Copernicus data, it is the right time to get started or to scale up your EO business.

Copernicus is producing over 12 Terabytes of Earth Observation data per day.That is equivalent to 6000+ DVDs.

About the Copernicus Incubation Programme

The Copernicus Incubation was launched by the European Commission to assist start-ups and scale-ups in using the opportunities brought by the Copernicus full, free and open data. The Programme will award 50,000 EUR equity-free funding to 20 start-ups every year to boost EO data-based businesses. The selected applicants will also have access to a new network, tools and opportunities that can help early-stage start-ups as well as already operating businesses that aim to further grow. The Copernicus Incubation Programme is implemented under contract of the European Commission, by Verhaert. Masters in Innovation, an SME based in Belgium.

Who Can Apply?

Start-ups, groups of entrepreneurs, university, research or corporate spin-offs based in the EU28, Norway or Iceland are eligible applicants. This programme requires joint applications: the start-up needs to apply together with a support programme that agrees to incubate the start-up if it receives the funding, but the start-up must be the lead applicant and sole beneficiary.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Teams of entrepreneurs (at least 2 complementary profiles)

Legally established start-ups (not required for application, but needed for receiving funding)

University and research institute spin-offs

Corporate spin-offs

Venturing teams within corporate venture programmes with an intention to spin out

Requirements & Conditions

Start-ups receive up to 50,000 EUR and up to 85% of the total costs described in their application to the programme

Co-funding is required for at least 15% of the total costs. Any co-funding source is eligible, such as business angels, subsidy programmes, investors, another incubation programme or the start-up itself. In-kind contributions such as office space or coaching hours cannot be admitted as part of the required co-funding

The funding covers costs for a maximum of one year

Selected start-ups receive 50% of the total grant as pre-financing. The remaining payment happens at final delivery (based on financial reporting to justify costs)

Lead time for the incubation support funding is approximately 4 weeks after the announcement of the results

Video: no longer than 5 minutes - may be filmed with a smartphone or any other device

Slide presentation - up to 10 content slides

3. Funding request application, containing

Background info, summary of business pitch, explanation of the use of Copernicus data and/or services

Description of objectives, tasks, expected outcomes, projected budget

4. Supporting documents

CVs of each team member

Any other relevant documents

In addition, the partnering support programme is required to provide a letter of support and an info material on their organization (scope of services, operational model, track record of past results).

The Copernicus Incubation Programme - what to expect

What to Expect

Every application for the Copernicus Incubation Programme is thoroughly screened and evaluated in two rounds. All applications are judged by a team of experts in venture capital investment, Copernicus and Earth Observation data, and business and start-up development or incubation.

The first round includes assessment of each applicant’s compliance and a pre-screening to judge the quality of the application. The best projects proceed to the second round, where applicants are invited to present their project in a video interface. The team of experts assesses each start-up’s business proposition, team and funding request in more detail.

The entire application process, from submission deadline to final decision, takes about one month. Winning start-ups may expect the first payment of their funding within four weeks after that.

“Being an entrepreneur is like eating glass and staring into the abyss” Elon Musk once said and it is true that starting your own start-up journey can be a scary endeavour. But any idea worth pursuing has to excite you and scare you at the same time and with the Copernicus Incubator, we’re here to help you.

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